Weardale Railway purchases Wensleydale Railway-based Class 142 Pacer Train

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Weardale Railway purchases Wensleydale Railway-based Class 142 Pacer Train

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142078 on arrival at the Wensleydale Railway
142078 on arrival at the Wensleydale Railway // Credit: Tom Hatton

BR Class 142 No. 142078 has been purchased by The Trust from The .

Reid Freight has delivered the 2 carriages to Wolsingham Depot this week, and were coupled back together on Friday.

142078 was built in 1987 and was based at Heaton Depot in Newcastle until it entered preservation in 2021.

The Wensleydale Railway have used 142078 in regular service and the unit will help provide resilience for services on the railway.

142078 on arrival at the Wensleydale Railway
142078 on arrival at the Wensleydale Railway // Credit: Tom Hatton
An FTR exam will take place before crew training can begin before eventually entering service on the railway.

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  1. We travelled on the aforementioned Pacer train today on a round trip between Stanhope and Bishop Auckland. My heart sank when I saw the Pacer, but the experience was better than expected. There was some wheel screech, but the overall noise level was fine, far better than a recent Northern Rail journey between Leeds and Sheffield. The driver said that they were very easy to handle, and with a reliable cummins engine and Voith transmission. A good acquisition for the line.

  2. Why don’t some people grow up – the pacer are awful.
    Whether you like or not they still have a part in the history of the Uk.
    Not like the shit that being brought now from the rest of the world
    I wonder if the 195 197 331 and the 800 will around in 30 years time.

  3. I can see Pacers taking over from loco-hauled Mk1/Mk2s, as heritage lines’ main choice. Understandable really, due to the increasing costs of coal & diesel….but they’re a poor substitute, IMO.

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